Making desi 24 is not about moolah: Anil Kapoor

Anil Kapoor is gung-ho about his Indian remake of the cult American television series 24. TOI gets the actor to bare all about his ambitious project

How was the experience of putting together your team on 24? Let me confess, 24 is a very big thing for me. I've a big responsibility toward myself, the American producers Fox, and Keifer Sutherland, who played the lead in the original. We first got Abhinay Deo as creative head. I had seen his ads, and then Delhi Belly. When I spoke to Aamir Khan, he advised me Abhinay was up to the responsibility of helming 24. Abhinay is shoulder-toshoulder with me on this. Abhinay wanted Rensil d'Silva as writer. Eventually, we selected him as we thought, he shared our excitement. And he has come up with some fantastic writing.

Are you taking the American team, especially Keifer Sutherland, into confidence? Keifer is not a part of our 24. It's mainly Howard Gordon of Fox. I've worked with them. And now, they too are eager to see the Indian version. Otherwise, there's no interference from them.

Have you finally found a broadcaster? There were reports you'd been asking for astronomical sums for the telecast rights of the series? We're still talking to various broadcasters. All the details will be finalised within a month. I don't want to let down my friends in America. The aesthetics and canvas of our 24 should be comparable to theirs.

And doing the Indian version of the series is not about making money. We are into it because it has the potential of taking Indian television to another level. Our main challenge is to adapt it to Indian sensibilities.

When do you hope to have 24 ready for telecast? Till it's a hundred per cent right, I am not going on air. We'll have a bank of seven to eight episodes before we start.

How did you find the time for this project? I've put everything else on hold. My agent in Los Angeles, USA, has stopped all negotiations for new international projects. I've also sacrificed four to five major projects in India. In fact, I've been working on 24 for nearly one-and-ahalf years now. By October, I'll complete my film assignments and devote the next six to seven months only to playing my part in 24.

Will your interpretation of Sutherland's role be different? Even if I achieve 60-70 per cent of what he has done, I'd be happy. He is brilliant in the series. Keifer and I have different faces and personalities. I'm a huge admirer of Keifer's work in 24. I am sure any actor in the world, no matter how accomplished, would have to respect what Keifer has done in 24 while reprising his role.